Author Topic: why bike?  (Read 50293 times)

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Offline ron_bike4peace

why bike?
« on: January 07, 2007, 05:16:23 am »
why bike? tell your story.
it all started for me when i lost a job about 12 years ago and could not afford to drive anymore. now, i do it because of the many benefits, not just the money thing.
cars are coffins! they rob me of any serenity that i have. riding a bicycle is healthier for the "whole" person, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. to me cycling has been a spiritual experience. it is very liberating for the soul to not be trapped in a box, isolated from from your surroundings.
thats why i bike4peace!


Offline qajaq

why bike?
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2007, 07:22:08 pm »
Hey, Ron! I ride for many of the same reasons. Although I've been riding to work nearly every workday since I moved to Gainesville in August, 2000, I still owned a motor vehicle for much of that time. But two years ago I started to think seriously about getting rid of the van and going 100% human-powered.

Two months later, the van threw a rod, giving me my opportunity.

I haven't regretted it at all. I love the work-out, love the way I feel, the way I am energized when I get to work (and get back home). I love not spending a few thousand bucks a year on vehicle ownership, and not contributing that bit to environmental degradation.

And I just love the sense of freedom I get when I roll out of my driveway on two wheels!


Offline capejohn

why bike?
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2007, 11:51:59 am »
No reason for riding bikes that are any different from playing sports or going out to dinner.  I enjoy it.

Keeping me young as I grow old.
Keeping me young as I grow old.

Offline dougstetson

why bike?
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2007, 11:11:02 pm »
I relearned to ride a bike in San Francisco -- I discovered that bikes were about as fast as the local mass transit, but more reliable in terms of arrival at a destination. I enjoyed getting exercise while doing something necessary (visiting clients, friends, chores), not waiting for the next bus, streetcar, what have you, and putting one less car, even a mass transit car, on the road. In Virginia I can bike to the office in about 30 minutes. Takes 15 minutes to drive, so for the "cost" of 30 extra minutes I get an hour of aerobic exercise, and the feeling that I'm helping reduce the fossil fuel consumption and CO2 production (though, to be honest, only very slightly). I'm constantly aware, however, that it's dangerous. Despite my urban riding skills I realize that some car, truck or SUV can end it all for me. The local roads make sharing the road a challenge.

Doug Stetson
San Francisco bound
Doug Stetson
San Francisco bound

Offline Sailariel

why bike?
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2007, 03:54:47 pm »
I started riding in 2004 when I was diagnosed with cancer. I lost 50 lbs. and went into surgery strong as an ox. I got thoroughly hooked, now have three bikes that I have built, and have a state of art bike shop. I dont have cancer anymore.


Offline capejohn

why bike?
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2007, 04:21:55 pm »
That's one of the better bike stories Sail...

Where is your shop?

Keeping me young as I grow old.
Keeping me young as I grow old.

Offline Sailariel

why bike?
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2007, 12:55:53 pm »
My shop is in Belfast, ME. It is not a commercial enterprise--strictly hobby. I used to be a motorcycle mechanic many years ago. Since we moved ashore two years ago, I decided to set up a shop and get the right tools. Instead of buying an expensive bike, I decided to invest in  tools--Park and Craftsman love me. Also spent a lot of time learning from my local bike shop. Am now rebuilding 24 mountain bikes for our 4H Camp. The bike shop supplies the parts at cost and I do the labor as a volunteer--and the kids have safe bikes--everybody wins. Plan to teach a course in preventative maintenance to the kids this summer so they can do their own bikes. Our club members also use the shop to tune up their bikes.


Offline capejohn

why bike?
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2007, 01:34:26 pm »
I'm up your way every Thanksgiving. If your consider Portland as being your way.  I spent my summers working at a camp in Winslow in my college days.

During our annual Thanksgiving shopping excursion, I bring my bike.  Wifey shops, I ride. When it's time to eat or sleep, I come back. Just like my dogs do at home.  :)

Having a hobby that helps people make it that much more fun, doesn't it?  

Keeping me young as I grow old.
Keeping me young as I grow old.

Offline Sailariel

why bike?
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2007, 09:59:37 pm »
Cape, When in Maine, get in touch. We have some great loops here. Just turned 65 and can still keep up with the younger groups. Winslow is not that far from Belfast. Have ridden there a few times.


Offline boonebikeguy

why bike?
« Reply #9 on: May 08, 2007, 01:56:28 pm »
Cutting short my child-hood stories and racing stories. After I raced for so long I burned out and quit completely. Became a professional drunkard. lost touch . One day I just rode to work, it hurt. I was still able to pound the milesd out quickly and obviously not a simple bike rider, but it hurt to push it.. I started riding everywhere work shopping etc... My car had prblems and I abandoned it basically. I ride everywhere i go rare I ride the bus.What I think is funny are all the yuppie-psudeo-hippyt people that claim to looooooove the planet yet ride to the local liberal brood coffeee shop in their land rover, complete with oil based stickers decrying OIL and slurrping on their high-priced coffeee in between cellphone calls. If they really believed in what they preach and were really liberals then they would ride more and drive less. But leave it to a moderate to point this out. I think riding is benefical to health mental fortitude and overall happiness.If one out of twenty people rode to work ONCE w ekk, the  I assure you the market price for gas would plummet.BUt of course we are a culture of Clinton-esque actions. SAY SAY SAY never do do do.I continue to commute because I believe I am helping the environment on my own level.  I have come to despise liberals for that reason. In Boone even the real hippies don't practice what they preach. Theyt drive three feet to their broods and talk about how horrible the US is yet waste more fuel than I do in one trip to their over-priced coffeee dens.I hate rednecks evemn more now because they drive like idiots complete idiots. I hate most truck drivers because they drive worse than red-necks. People are killing themselves inside of these cars and look like giant A-holes reaching their demise. If I had any power in gov't I'd be hated because I would demand public schools city councils and county maintainence provide roads for cycling, schools offer and force kids to ride for health as part of a school cirriculm to exit high school(Like a national fitness challenge.). And force communities to sponser programmes to encourage and even force people to commute on bikes in town to save gas and simply protect the environment. Of course common-sense tells you that  New York for example would be tough to do, but mid-west and mid-sized cities would be easy.


I hope that made sense ande was germain to your topic.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb
"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

Offline capejohn

why bike?
« Reply #10 on: May 08, 2007, 02:53:23 pm »
Boone:
You sound very angry.  Turn off your tv for a few months.  And for goodness sake, at least block Fox channels. You will feel much better about yourself, about riding, and have less animosity toward your neighbors.

I can tell your really a good liberal deep down.  Embrace those hippys. The will show you the way.

Keeping me young as I grow old.

This message was edited by capejohn on 5-8-07 @ 10:55 AM
Keeping me young as I grow old.

Offline boonebikeguy

why bike?
« Reply #11 on: May 09, 2007, 12:34:20 am »
Angry? No dissapointed that people of this nation say say say_never do.? For your information I am probablly one of the few REAL liberals left in this nation. It's no Fox news..or the tele  (I rarely watch the thing anymore) It is what I experience every day.But Angry? No Usually people who want to dissmiss something a person has said that is true will try to undermine it by callng them 'something'. So I would choose another new and inventive way to undermine my point, maybe a colourful attack on my charact--er--wait a tick. Never mind!

Look I started riding again because I believe in what I not only say but think.The most hypocritical people I have ever met in my entire life ..unfortunately..seem to come from the left ..typically. I consider myself a minimlist when it comes to gov, spending, daily life etc.. So riding a bike is not only practical but it saves  money and keeps you healthy and fit. You know the 'hippys' came from the term hipster and is derived from being 'hip'. SO the very concept is bourne of not being real to begin with but being hip or popular. it is popular in our nation to mouth-off about how much one looovves the earth, but as soon as they say this they hop in their gigantor SUV and guzzle their way home to bitvch about how much americans pollute the earth. Fascinating. Americans are funny birds. I am one but perhaps one in a minority. I live as I preach and certainly belive what I say. Most people in this nation do not obviously. SO at least the 'right-wingers' are honest they never talk about how much they loooooove recycling. They either do it or do not. Other people? not so much. Liberals..pretty much hijacked the idea of being a good steward to the earth, and basically they are not good stewards...just all talk (overall and generally).

Love to talk about it more with you, but you see my point. I mean afterall you dubbed me 'very angry' . Obviously to undermine my point. That's cool that's just your style, not mine.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

This message was edited by boonebikeguy on 5-8-07 @ 8:37 PM
"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

Offline WetDogRider

why bike?
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2007, 11:53:14 am »
Ride on Boone! ! ! !
I feel small . I love cars , but also love to bike !
I live in the country , and cruise the country roads of Illinois ( The Best ). I'm growing in my rides ,and going for more distance everyride . . .
Just had a great ride with some co-workers from our town to the Mississippi River and back ( 82 miles ). It was a beautiful day and beautiful experience . We're now planning our next excursion , with some other co-workers , and a new adventure . . . I've made the metric century , and am being gunned by one of my riding bud's to go for the real thing . Not enough led in my seat yet though I think .LOL . . .


Offline princesslittle

why bike?
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2008, 09:13:46 pm »
My wife & I spend 6 months a year in Mission, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. Mission is a small town & I'm sure no kid here lives more than two miles from school. This is ideal bicyble tranportation country yet almost no one here cycles to work or to school. The climate is benign year round and the terrain is flat. At the end of the school day, there should be hundreds of kids on bikes streaming out of school yards.

Instead, the district BUSSES kids to & from school, a complete waste of money, IMHO. Those not on busses, get picked up by their parents, often driving 5,000 pound pickups and SUV's. This in a low crime small town with wide streets where it is safe for kids to cycle.

Crabby old John A. :)


Offline Westinghouse

why bike?
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2008, 02:07:59 pm »
When I was very young, maybe ten, I dreamed of crossing the US by bicycle, but had long forgotten about anything like that. Then, much later, in the summer of 1983, I was on a sixty day Eurail trip around western Europe. I was staying in the youth hostel in Cherbourg, France, and waiting for the ship to take me over to Rosslare harbor into Ireland. I met a young  (18) German woman. We rented bicycles, and rode out to visit the Normandy coast where part of the D-day invasion had taken place many years before. I liked it so much I decided to complete my grand tour of western Europe by cycling around England, Scotland, and Wales the following summer, and that I did. I spent about 70 days cycling around the UK in the summer of 1984, a drout summer with only five days of light rain. Ever since 1984 I have been taking off on long bicycling tours when free to do so.